Friday, March 24, 2006

Poll: Afghanistan Visit Boosts Harper

Not surprising, Harper's visit to Afghanistan boosts his numbers:
Nationally, 38 per cent of respondents said they would support the Conservatives, 26 per cent the Liberals, 19 per cent the NDP and 11 per cent the Bloc Quebecois.

Decima polled 1,012 adult Canadians. The results are considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Bruce Anderson of Decima suggested the rise in national popularity is because of Harper's widely publicized, gaffe-free visit to the troops in Afghanistan.

"They have likely gained some ground based on the coverage of the prime minister's visit to Afghanistan, although that may also have cost them a little bit of support in the province of Quebec," he said.

I have heard alot of people argue that Harper did the right thing in visiting our troops. It really is hard to disagree with that sentiment, although I am convinced the visit was more political calculation than moral imperative. A new Prime Minister who needs to solidify his position- what could be better than a feel good photo-op, oozing leadership? It worked, Harper gets a boost and confidently enters the international stage. Mission accomplished.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think if you were to spend a bit of time investigating Decima, and their results in the most important polls, you would not continue to report on their biased polls. I think its important to check who funds most of their work to examine potential bias's of the polling company. That is like saying the NP or SM/CW opinion is the correct one. And I admit I do read your blogs and I enjoy many of them, so its not a slam, just a comment. If you had sighted a more reputable poll I would have lent the results, more credence.

Steve V said...

woman mile 0

Thanks for the comment. I know that Decima is slanted, but it does seem intuitive that Harper would get a bounce from his photo-ops in Afghanistan.

Anonymous said...

Hmm but his slant may not be as effective as we think. See Rex's article (who often ticks me right off) at http://www.cbc.ca/national/rex/rex_060322.html
If I agree with Rex well its certainly been awhile since we have seen eye to eye on an issue, I'm very surprised.

Steve V said...

"his slant may not be as effective as we think."

Short-term he shows leadership and looks decisive, blah blah. I don't think his strategy will payoff longterm, especially as Canadians learn more about the nature and timeframe of the mission. Murphy's article highlights one of the problems moving forward.

I think Harper's people saw a surprise visit to Afghanistan as a quick way to firm up his shaky start. Seeing as his "team" seems to use the American playbook, the language used during the visit, as well as the timing should come as no surprise.